The present invention is directed to the field of toys. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an implement for making and launching a snowball.
A number of prior attempts have been made to manufacture a snowball maker. The first of which Applicant is aware is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,572 issued to Sage. This device utilizes a pliers-type or sheers-type device to compress snow into snowballs. It is not designed for, nor disclosed as being capable of, tossing the created snow ball. U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,556 issued to Wessells et al. attempts to overcome this shortcoming. The Wessells et al. device is designed to operated by one hand by manually clasping the clamshell device comprised of a semi-spherical former 115 and scoop 110 together to form a snowball. The former pivots back to its original open position, either automatically through a biasing system 120 or, in one embodiment, following actuation by pull ring 510. While, conceptually, single-handed operation sounds appealing, using one hand, particularly without the aid of any mechanical advantage, limits one's ability to impart significant compressive force to the snow to form a cohesive snowball. Besides, there is no particular advantage to single-hand operation, since most people will utilize the same hand to form the snowball as they will to grasp the handle to hurl it.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a practical device capable of forming and throwing a snow ball. The snowball slinger for making and launching a snowball, of the present invention comprises a) a first arm having a first hemispherical snowball-forming cup formed at a first end and a first handle formed at a second end; b) a second arm pivotally attached to the first arm adjacent the first hemispherical cup by a hinge, the second arm having a second hemispherical snowball-forming cup formed at a first end of the second arm and a second handle formed at a second end, the second hemispherical cup forming an acute angle with the second arm, the hinge permitting the second arm to pivot between a first position in which the first and second handles are adjacent each other and the first and second hemispherical cups are spaced apart by a sufficient distance to allow a snowball to emerge therefrom and a second position in which the first and second handles are spaced from one another and the first and second hemispherical cups are touching each other. Preferably, on of the first and second handles has a recess for receiving the other of the first and second handles. Each of the first and second handles have a slight elbow bend in a mid-portion, the elbow bend of the first handle corresponding in location to the elbow bend of the second handle such that the elbow bends are adjacent each other when the first and second handles are in the first position.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.